Approximately 19 million people in need of emergency aid in Yemen: UN

Apr 26, Brussels: The United Nations has appealed for $2.1 billion to prevent the "starving of an entire generation" in Yemen. But it says a lack of funds is not the only issue of concern in the war-torn country, amid reports that the strategic port of Hodeidah may be targeted by the Saudi-led coalition.

According to reports,UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed for the multi-million aid package for Yemen on Tuesday during the opening session of a donor conference in Geneva."On average, a child under the age of five dies of preventable causes in Yemen every 10 minutes," Guterres said. "This means 50 children in Yemen will die during today's conference, and all of those deaths could have been prevented," he added.

"We are witnessing the starving and the crippling of an entire generation," the UN Secretary-General warned, saying that two-thirds of the population or nearly 19 million people need emergency aid in Yemen, includng some 3 million malnourished children.

Meanwhile, nearly 7 million people in Yemen are on the brink of starvation, Amnesty International said in a report published on Tuesday.
By the end of the conference, donor countries had pledged nearly $1.1 billion for humanitarian aid to Yemen.